Bandit signs still a battle

Published 3:09 pm, Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A Houston Public Works Department employee collects bandit signs along a right-of-way.

A Houston Public Works Department employee collects bandit signs along a right-of-way.

Photo: Sharon Steinmann

Bandit signs still a battle

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Despite a state law that makes certain roadside signs illegal, area cities and communities still find themselves battling the issue.

The signs, often referred to as "bandit signs," are illegally placed signs in the public right of way along roadways, commonly found near major intersections, apartments and homes.

The signs advertise everything from new homes to weight-loss products.

The city of Tomball has dealt with the issue for years. But city leaders, who made significant changes to their sign ordinance earlier this year to address interactive signs used by businesses, are taking on the bigger issue of bandit signs and banners.

"It's a large problem," said City Manager George Shackelford. "Our ordinance doesn't address those things, but it's going to."

The City Council took up the bandit sign issue at a July meeting at City Hall and spent more than an hour discussing how bandit signs and other signage could be a distraction to motorists.

"I was pleased with the discussion," Shackelford said. "I could tell the council had done their homework."

In 2007, the state Legislature passed House Bill 413 into law, which outlaws the use of bandit signs in the rights of way on interstates, county roads and rural roads.

A violation of that law could result in a fine between $500 to $1,000.

Tomball Councilman Mark Stoll agreed that the discussion had been good and that the city was way behind in cleaning up this problem.

"What we are trying to do is clean up the city of Tomball, and not have these things all over the place," Stoll said. "We want to get rid of these altogether."

City Planner Rebecca Guerra said all signage will require a city permit before it can be placed in the right-of-way for any amount of time.

"The direction that we have received (from the council) is that they'd like to have some kind of vehicle in place (to enforce) the bandit sign issue."

Other proposed changes to the ordinance include a ban on people wearing signs, banner signs and inflatable signs, and the use of way finding or directional signs and enhanced billboard regulations.

Guerra said the city is modeling its sign ordinance after the city of Houston's ordinance, which was successfully defended in the Texas Supreme Court this year.

"They had recent changes to their sign ordinance that were quite strict, and we modeled, particularly our billboard information, after their regulation," she said.

Guerra said she hopes to have the updated ordinance ready for a first reading for the Aug. 20 council meeting.

Meanwhile, outside the Tomball city limits, some residents of Harris County are taking matters into their own hands.

For more than a year, Ken Latimer and members of his community have made it their personal mission to remove the assortment of signs along FM 1960 that are either affixed to telephone poles, sign posts, or jabbed firmly into the ground.

"The very first time my wife and I went out, we went down 1960 about four miles and we pulled up 165 signs," Latimer said.

For the last 18 months, Latimer and some of his neighbors have periodically cruised FM 1960 between Tomball Parkway and Interstate 45, looking for bandit signs, and the results of the removal have paid off.

Latimer said the training, which is relatively short, teaches what is, and is not considered illegal.

For instance, some political signs are left alone, as are signs advertising real estate. However, other signs that advertise other services for granite counter tops, weight loss, and even garage sales can be taken down.

If the signs, particularly from one vendor are considered numerous, law enforcement officials or code enforcement officers could impose a fine.

Some of the vendors who place these bandit signs in the rights of way are unaware of the law.

Latimer said if they run across as sign from someone they have never seen, they will contact the vendor or person who placed the signs.

"We don't just want to take the signs down and they just think they're gone," Latimer said. "We call them or email them, let them know about the law, or send them a copy of the law. We tell them what we're doing and ask them to help out."

Latimer said they have had a few threats from those he has called, while others will agree to stop placing their signs in the right of way. "It's sort of like weeds. You'll go out once and things are OK, then you go back out again and things aren't OK," Latimer said.